Warmth blossomed low in her belly, radiating through her.
His mouth turned insistent. Hungry. The kiss was long and wild. She glided her hands down his broad back and skimmed up again, taking his shirt with them. Her deft fingers undid the button on his jeans and lowered his zipper.
In a blink, he was off the bed, on his feet, and he made quick work of getting his jeans and boxer briefs off, tossing them to the floor.
Her jaw went slack at the sight of Aiden in all his naked glory. She’d never tire of seeing him, touching him, kissing this beautiful man, who, beyond reason and despite her numerous flaws, still loved her, wanted her.
Sitting up, she reached for him. He dropped back to the bed and shifted her onto his lap as he sat so she straddled him. She let her towel fall to the side, baring herself to his ardent gaze. He cupped her breast, thumbing the stiff peak as he watched her with a smoldering intensity.
Moaning under his touch, she took the hard, thick length of him in her hand. “I’ve wanted this for so long. To make love to you,” she said, rocking against him. Dampness flooded the space between her legs, anticipation racing under her skin.
“You have no idea. I’ve wanted you since the day we met.” His hand slid over her ribs, down her belly and lower to the apex of her thighs. “Knew we were inevitable.” He groaned as he stroked between her folds, making her slick with desire.
As if he’d been studying her, preparing for this moment, he teased with expert fingers, used just the right amount of pressure, which sent an exquisite jolt of pleasure that left her throbbing with need for him.
The inevitability of their commingling, this communion shook her to the core.
Dropping his head to her breast, he sucked hard at a nipple, driving her crazy.
“Aiden.” She made a tortured sound of pleading that she’d never imagined possible.
“Patience. You’ve rushed in the past with others,” he said, proving once again how well he knew her. “Not with me. Not the first time, anyway. I need to savor this. You.”
“Don’t you want to devour me?”
“I intend to. Slowly. For hours.” He kissed her with such fierce tenderness that a colony of butterflies took flight inside her on wings of fire.
She’d never been so aroused, so eager, felt so connected to another person.
Charlie didn’t think he could get her any more excited or ready, but she couldn’t have been more wrong. Exercising inhuman willpower, he made good on his promise. Savored her slowly. He explored every inch of her body from her scalp to the soles of her feet. Licked, tasted, nibbled and sucked, taking her to the brink with his clever tongue, only to deny her the ultimate gratification. Layered pleasure, letting it build and tighten, finally giving her a blinding climax with his head nuzzled between her thighs and his mouth on her.
Screaming his name, she shattered with the most uninhibited release of her life. Sensation thrummed along every nerve. But this wasn’t her, wild and begging, writhing and loud.
Two could play the teasing game. It wasn’t until she took him in her mouth and gifted him with a similar torture that he tossed her onto her back, flattening her against the mattress, and fully covered her in a motion of unparalleled grace.
She spread her legs wider in invitation.
Sliding his hand up to the back of her neck, he held her tight as he took her mouth and kissed her, deep and hard and wet. His first press into her was long and excruciatingly slow as though it brought him both pleasure and pain.
Which she understood. The friction relieved one kind of ache while making another deepen at the same time.
He rolled over, taking her with him, up into a sitting position. Her legs went around his waist, her hands to his shoulders. He held her hips, guiding her up and down the steely length of him. Pushing up on her knees for leverage, she pulsed with liquid heat, flowed with their building rhythm, matching his hunger and desperation.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said between ragged breaths. “You’re perfect.”
They took each other harder and faster, his mouth sensual and sweet, his hands wild and possessive. Her heart brimmed with so much love—with the surety of his, bright as a star—that she cried. Happy tears.
Another shuddering release spilled through her. His arms locked around her waist and he drove her down, grinding roughly until he found his own.
In the past, at this point, once both parties had been physically satisfied, she would’ve said something callous and goading to establish distance and got the heck out of there.
Instead, when Aiden pulled her down beside him and wrapped his arms around her, she sank into it. Reveled in it.
The sun was fading, and it was nearly dark.
Snuggling with him, she was glad they’d made love slowly, so she’d always remember every caress, every whispered word of affection, each kiss and exhilarating breath of their first time.
First.
With many, many more to come.
Emotions barraged her. The world had changed.
Even she was different. Sort of. She wanted to be strong enough to handle this, brave enough. Aiden was right. It took courage to love.
“What are we supposed to do now?” she asked as a prickle of anxiety wormed to the surface. “Exchange BFFs bracelets? I guess it should say lovers. What does one put when your BFF is your lover?” Charlie pressed her lips together to stop the babbling redirection pouring out of her mouth. She had to be honest with him. Face her fears. “I don’t know how to do this, a relationship, and I don’t want to mess it up.” Her stomach flip-flopped. She wanted it to work between them more than anything, but... “I’m scared.”
“I know.” He squeezed her arm and rubbed up and down. “We’re going to keep doing the same thing that we have been. But we’ll do it under one roof, sharing the same bed, only sleeping with each other. No bracelets.”
She chuckled, her trepidation easing. “You make it sound so simple.”
“Simple, yes. Easy, not always. But don’t forget.”
“What?”
He kissed her temple and tightened his embrace. “We’re the dynamic duo. Together, we can do anything.”
Next to Aiden, she felt invincible, like they could conquer the world. Maybe they could make a relationship work. Find happiness one day at a time.
The cell phone on the nightstand buzzed. A text came in.
Aiden reached over and grabbed the phone. He showed her the screen as he opened the message.
An orange jumpsuit wouldn’t suit me. What do you want to trade?
“Even if Walsh agrees to give us Albatross, he’ll never follow through and make good on it.”